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Unfortunately this morning was a bit more exc...
September 30, 2004 by Adam in Family
Unfortunately this morning was a bit more exciting than I would have liked. Jamie woke me up around 4 am as she'd been up with Emma since an hour before. For whatever weird reason, Emma simply wasn't tired. We spent a long while reading, playing her Pooh computer game, and generally hanging out in the basement. A little before 6 am I wandered up and handed over Emma, sleeping for a half hour before zipping off to work.
The day before, my bike tire got a flat and I replaced the rear brakes. The tire was fine this morning, but the brakes didn't work well. I rode in very carefully on just the front brakes.
Hopefully this weekend will be relaxing and pleasant. Josh is coming to visit Saturday and I think we're having Seraph and Robbie over for dinner some night.
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It was a pretty low-key Sunday, now slowly co...
September 27, 2004 by Adam in Family
 It was a pretty low-key Sunday, now slowly coming to a close. We puttered around the house for most of the day, though I got paged a few times due to work-related issues. The garage got organized and cleaned. Jamie and Sam made some incredible pesto, which later got incorporated into a Mediterranian pizza. Kirsten and Dave stopped by after work and we ended up feeding them. Jamie discovered the "On Demand" features of our cable system, deciding it was incredibly cool, then later discovering it wasn't quite so cool. The kids and I played a lot, indoors and out.
In general, it was nice to have a weekend where we didn't have to rush around and do anything terribly important. I need more of those from time to time.
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It was a good Saturday, as Saturdays go
September 26, 2004 by Adam in Family
 It was a good Saturday, as Saturdays go. I was a little groggy as I stayed up late the night before playing on my computer. Nothing a lot of coffee couldn't fix. I had a little work to do as we had a big downtime at work. I earned my keep with five minutes of troubleshooting after something broke.
Later in the afternoon, Sam and I went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. It's not Best Picture material, but it's lots of fun. It's almost as if they deliberately included all the great pulp science fiction elements from 30's comic books. Great stuff.
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Mmm
September 24, 2004 by Adam in Family
Mmm . . . sweet, sweet mocha Friday. Nothing too exciting going on this misty day here in Eugene. Dave and Kirsten wandered by last night so we fed them in exchange for entertaining our children. Emma in particular is taken with Kirsten and is even able to say her name. We were happy to have a couple fresh bodies to ease the parenting madness for an hour or two.
Emma slept better last night, which I'm sure Jamie appreciates greatly. Sam's been rewatching the Lord of the Rings movies, so he's very much into roleplaying grand battles with orcs and elves.
I think we're going to take it easy this weekend. I'm hoping to go see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow with Sam. There's also a Finding Nemo movie at his school tonight, though it's a bit late. I'd also like to watch both kids as much as I can as Jamie's had a hard week with them. I'm sure a few hot baths would be greatly appreciated by her.
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It was a little more exciting yesterday than ...
September 23, 2004 by Adam in Family
It was a little more exciting yesterday than I wanted it to be. Sam got out of preschool early yesterday and Jamie forgot. The teacher ended up calling me at work to okay another parent taking Sam home. I cycled home in hopes of straightening things out, but by then Jamie had already picked him up. Oops.
Jamie also went out with a friend last night, leaving me to entertain the children for a couple hours. Emma gets distraught every time Jamie goes away, so Sam and I put all our effort into distracting her. We found some old foam squares with letters on them that link together, one of Sam's old toys. They make great forts and such, so we spent a lot of time putting them together in various combinations. For a brief, quiet moment I had boxed up both children. I think that lasted two seconds before they burst out of it as the foam connections aren't that strong.
Fortunately Emma seems to be sleeping better. Perhaps her molars have come in enough so that it doesn't hurt quite so much.
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We're back from the coast
September 21, 2004 by Adam in Family
 We're back from the coast. Saturday went well, with a good drive over. Emma slept for a big chunk of it, even though we took the long way around to avoid some work they were doing on a tunnel. Once we got there, we lounged about waiting for everyone to get out of the Beaver game and drive over from Corvallis. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh even managed to come along which made it even cheerier.
Sunday was Talk Like a Pirate Day, not to mention Jamie's birthday. There were lots of beach trips, sand castles, and eating crab. Everyone seemed bemused by Sims 2 and all their Sims counterparts that I'd made for them.
 Most people headed home Sunday evening, leaving our family and Jamie's aunt and uncle. It took awhile to get the kids to bed. Emma in particular has been quite fussy and wanting Jamie all the time. The next day we did a final beach trip, then slowly got ready for the trip back. As always, coming home is harder than going, and Jamie was a bit on edge the last ten minutes. Still, we arrived safe and sound and Angie surprised us by bringing us dinner.
Now I'm hoping for a long night of sleep before work begins tomorrow.
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Mocha Friday
September 17, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday. It was a wet morning and it promises to be a wet weekend. When we go off to the coast, I'll be sure to bring along plenty of indoor things to do. The kids have been spoiled by warm and sunny coast trips, so it'll probably do them good to see what Oregon weather is really like.
It's another crazy busy day here at work, though they did announce a fairly sizeable "winshare" bonus this year. Maybe Emma will get to go to college after all!
My Sims 2 game also arrives today. Maybe Sam and I will make up a version of all our family members and stick them in a neighborhood together. Hopefully Robbie won't set himself on fire like he did in the first Sims game. Seraph moped around their apartment for days, a little urn on the floor a sad reminder of his inability to safely use a stove.
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It was a funny morning today
September 15, 2004 by Adam in Family
It was a funny morning today. Right as I was about to walk out the door, Jamie came down with Emma, dropping hints about how tired she was and how Emma kept waking up all night. I dutifully tucked Jamie into bed and took Emma outside to look at the slugs and snails crawling on our patio. After twenty minutes or so, Jamie came out and kept me at home with the promise of coffee. I ended up showing up to work a fair bit later than normal.
Both the kids have been fascinated by snails lately. Sam had a few trapped in a plastic container to look at, giving them fresh leaves from time to time. A little baby snail was born, its shell still soft. The next day the wind blew it over and it was crushed. Sam wailed his anguish and freed the snails, becoming protectors of the local mollusks.
Emma has picked up this fascination and enjoys looking and poking at them. Fortunately they're pretty slow so she can keep up.
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It's Sunday night at 8:30 and I'm seriously t...
September 13, 2004 by Adam in Family
 It's Sunday night at 8:30 and I'm seriously thinking about going to bed in a few minutes. It's been a long day and I didn't get enough sleep last night. I watched Firefly on DVD late last night then was given Emma at six in the morning. I spent the first few hours pretty groggy.
Yesterday seemed a blur. I took the kids shopping for birthday presents for Jamie. We're still on target for going to the coast next weekend, something I'm very much looking forward to. We also watched Shaolin Soccer, which was hysterically funny. I'll have to start applying Kung Fu to computer programming.
Today I also seemed to have the kids a fair bit as well. Sam and I went on a long hike this morning to the top of Spencer's Butte. After lunch, Jamie went for a long walk with her friend while I entertained with drawing, playdough, and sand boxes. Jamie returned to spell me and I took a luxurious bath.
So, time to get ready for bed and sweet, blissful sleep.
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I just wanted to uncharacteristically add my ...
September 11, 2004 by Jamie in Family
I just wanted to uncharacteristically add my two cents of encouragement to Sue, who has the guts to dream about what she really wants, and the freedom and means to make it happen. You go girl! But please reconsider the glass sink; not only is it breakable, but also a fingerprint magnet. Solid surface is the way to go ;=)
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I'll be riding off to work shortly, eagerly a...
September 10, 2004 by Adam in Family
 I'll be riding off to work shortly, eagerly awaiting my Friday mocha. Then it's an hour of frantic work, followed by another day of all-day meetings.
Sam enjoyed his second day of school. He returned with a gingerbread boy made from paper, marshmallows, and raisins. He cut the paper himself, so it seems they're starting on the critical kindergarten skills already. He also made a friend on the playground, though he didn't know his name yet.
Emma slept better last night, though only relatively so. Several times I'd hear a plantive voice from her bed on the floor calling "Mama? Mama?"
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Sam's first day of school was today, somethin...
September 09, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Sam's first day of school was today, something he's been increasingly excited for. He dressed up in his school clothes, donned the backpack he picked out, and was ready to go. Evidently everything went pretty well as he seemed excited to go again. Emma didn't quite get the nap at the proper time, so Jamie's time with Sam in school wasn't particularly relaxing.
After work, Jamie went off to my mom's to conduct business. I think they finished in a few minutes and sat around shooting the breeze while I tried to distract grumpy children. Fortunately we discovered the neighbor kids playing outside so we joined them for a solid hour of play time.
Tomorrow could be a slightly odd work day for me. We have a new employee coming down that I'll be cross-training. As a bonus, we're eating out at the Glenwood. I'll probably end up drinking too much coffee and peeing all day, but such is the risks of my job.
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After work yesterday, we all piled in the car...
September 08, 2004 by Adam in Family
 After work yesterday, we all piled in the car and headed out for Sam's ice cream social at his new school. It was a bit of a mad house, with many parents and kids running around. We peeked in to his class that he'll be going to today, checking out the toys and setup. Then it was outside to play on the playground, which seemed well stocked.
Hopefully today will go well for him. After we got home yesterday, he kept saying "I wish it were tomorrow", so I think he's pretty excited.
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Well, we're slowly adjusting to city life again
September 07, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're slowly adjusting to city life again. It seems like I spent almost all of yesterday playing with Sam or Emma in some combination. Jamie was very appreciative of me being home and she tried to get some time to herself before the week began.
In the morning with picked up Dave and Kirsten and went out to Lonepine Farms to get fresh produce and visit with the goats. Emma in particular had a great time exploring. The afternoon was mostly spent unwinding and hanging out at the house.
Tonight we have an ice cream social at Sam's kindergarten and tomorrow is his first day.
Oh, and click on the picture to see a bigger version.
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We've arrived safely home after Sam and I's e...
September 06, 2004 by Adam in Family
 We've arrived safely home after Sam and I's exciting trip. Sam had a pretty good time, as did I, though it was a typical Miller family gathering in many ways. There were delays and miscommunication, but we all managed to make it to the lake and enjoy each other's company.
The first day Sam and I mostly explored the area, wandering around the eastern Oregon dry forests. There were plenty of chipmunks and birds about. Supposedly most of the mosquitos were eaten by bats just days before. We spotted a bald eagle and a blue heron.
 It was also a day of firsts for Sam. He went out on a boat for the first time, went fishing for the first time, camped for the first time, and roasted marshmellos for the first time. He got a little bored of fishing after a lot of time passed without any excitement, despite the fact that he claimed to have much patience.
Later that night, he found a dead fish floating in the water, an inch long at most. He grabbed it and ran all the way back to the cabins, naming it the "Little One that Didn't Get Away." He had lots of fun catching fish later on, including a half-pecked one that he stuck into alcohol for later study. A few other insects got dropped into specimin containers to be added to the collection.
Today was more of the same, with a boat ride across the lake and lots of walks. Sam seemed mesmerized by such a large body of water, tossing in rocks and looking at the creatures that swam around in it. The drive home seemed long, but we made it here by dinner time.
Jamie had had a hard night with Emma the night before, so she was pretty beat. Hopefully tomorrow we can all rest up for a week that includes Sam starting kindergarten.
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Well, my bags are almost packed
September 04, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Well, my bags are almost packed. I've managed to include a variety of electronic goods, such as a laptop, a portable DVD player, a camcorder, and a digital camera (not shown). Since they don't have broadband up at the lake, I suppose it's not worth taking the computer.
I've got to finish packing clothes and then wait for the rest of the crew to wake up. I might try slipping out to Metropol to get some goodies for the day, as well as making sure the car has gas. The weather looks pretty dreary at the moment, but supposedly it'll be sunny and warm where we're going.
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Mocha Friday with only a few minutes left at work
September 03, 2004 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday with only a few minutes left at work. The sun is shining and tomorrow's camping expedition looks promising. Sam's getting excited and he and Jamie spent today packing in preparation.
It's been a good week in the Miller-Mellor household. We all went swimming Wednesday night, laughing and splashing our way to bedtime. Jamie went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and made a wonderful dinner with fresh vegitables. Ah, the joys of having a spouse at home.
I'm hopeful it stays sunny for our trip. Jamie and Emma will be spending tomorrow night in a quiet home, something that almost never happens. Sam and I are "roughing it", though that really means we'll be in a well-furnished cabin without a television.
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